422 
VERTEBRATA. 
is of a bright yellowish-tawny color above, varied with blackish ; white below, with a line of the 
same color in the fold of the groins ; legs brown ; tail reddish above at its origin, gray below, and 
black at the tip ; length from the nose to tail about one foot two inches ; of the tail, near fifteen 
inches ; of the ears, three inches. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, where it sleeps during 
the day, going forth by night; it "moves by jumps on its hind-legs, like the jerboa, often leaping 
twenty or thirty feet at a bound. It eats sitting nearly upright, with the hind-legs extended hori- 
zontally, and using the small fore-feet to bring the food to its mouth. It feeds on vegetables, and 
is excessively timid, burying itself in its barrow upon the slightest alarm. It is a very strong an- 
imal, and with the fore-feet, which are admirably formed for digging, burrows so expeditiously as 
quickly to hide itself. 
THE PETHOMTS TTPICUS. 
Genus PETROMYS : Petromys. — These animals move upon the hind-legs, which are not much 
larger than the fore-ones ; the tail is nearly as long as the body. One species only is known, the 
Rock-Rat, P. typicus, which is but about seven inches long, and the tail five and a half inches; it 
is of a reddish color, and builds its nest among the stones and in the crevices of the rocks. It is 
found in southwestern Africa, in the region of Orange River. 
THE CTENODACTYLIENS. 
These consist of the single genus Ctenodactylus, and the single species C. Massoniiy of the size 
of a small rabbit, of a gray color, with a short tail, and found in Southern Africa. 
THE MYOXIDES. 
Of this family the Dormouse, is the type, and constitutes the principal member of the genus. 
All the species belong to the Eastern Hemisphere. 
Genus MYOXUS : Myoxus^ the Loii- of Gervais : this comprises the Dormouse or Sleeper of the 
English : M. avellanarius of naturalists. It is the Muscardin, Croque-Noix^ and Rat-d'' Or of the 
French ; Moscardino of the Italians ; Liron of the Spanish ; Rothe Wald-Maus, Hasel-Maus, and 
Hasel-Schldfer of the Germans. It has been placed by some naturalists among the squirrels, 
which it resembles in its form and appearance. It is the smallest species in the genus, being 
about three and a half inches long, and the tail of equal length. The head is rather large, the 
eyes large, black, and prominent ; muzzle not blunt ; ears broad, about one-third the length of 
the head ; body plump and round ; tail flattened, the hairs rather long and bushy ; head, back, 
sides, belly, and tail, tawny red. Its favorite retreats are dense thickets, bushy dells, and tangled 
hedgerows, though it sometimes lives in the forests. There it constructs its easy dormitory, and 
there providently lays up its winter store, consisting of acorns, beech-mast, corn, young hazel-nuts, 
haws, &c. It seems inclined to be gregarious, ten or a dozen, or even more, of their nests being 
